In many hotels, a made-up bed generally consists of white, or light-colored, linens and a bed covering, such as a bedspread, as the uppermost layer. These bedspreads often feature multicolor fabrics and/or patterns that serve a decorative function. Due to their coloration and patterns, bedspreads also generally tend to hide dirt and stains. As a consequence, bedspreads have the added benefit of protecting the linens thereunder from incidental soiling or staining that might otherwise occur when dirty items, such as luggage or shoes, are placed on the made-up bed, typically near the foot end, as is oftentimes done.
Some hotels have converted to an all, or substantially all, white heavyweight woven sheeting or “top cover” as a replacement for the bedspread. However, while arguably improving the general appearance and perceived quality of the bedding, these top covers are themselves prone to noticeable soiling or staining from luggage and shoes, for example. Accordingly, many hotels find it necessary to add a separate cover over an area of the top cover on which patrons typically place their luggage and/or shoes, to provide a “landing zone” extending across the width of the top cover near the foot end of the bed. One type of cover used for that purpose is a bed scarf (also referred to as a throw) which is a narrow piece of fabric, but sized so that while it extends across the made-up bed over the top cover, it extends laterally over only a short distance near the foot of the bed in the area most prone to receive luggage and shoes. Accordingly, the bed scarf is an added component that serves as a decorative accent like a bedspread, but also serves as a landing zone for luggage and other such items that might commonly be placed on the made-up bed and might otherwise soil or stain the top cover.
The addition of the bed scarf, while advantageous to protect the top cover and add aesthetically to the appearance of the made-up bed, nonetheless presents a number of drawbacks. For example, bed scarves can be considerably more expensive than the top cover itself. Bed scarves may also separately require dry cleaning or introduce complications in laundry processing, and introduce an additional step in the bed making process. Moreover, owing to their relatively small size, bed scarves can be prone to pilferage.